Green Apples, Smiles, and Sunshine
by star.everlasting
Summary: "If you weren't so busy worshiping the ground he walked on every time you saw him, you'd notice that he's been pining." "Get out of here, Hope Estheim doesn't pine over anyone." - Hope is, not for the first time, the subject of popular discussion in the Academy canteen.


HIIIII! After all that depression with Type-0 and the ending of XIII (sobs - I can't tell you how much I cried even when tumblr spoiled the ending for me after I tried SUPER hard to not have ANY spoilers for the game) AND freaking Kingsglaive tearing my heart to shreds, I'm ready to be fluffy and happy! Hope and Vanille are both ranked at numbers 3 and 4, respectively, on my list of favorite Final Fantasy characters (Tidus nabs first, Lightning and Tifa are tied for second), as well as one of my OTPs. I loved their interactions throughout the series; it's not something to focus on, but it's definitely there, something subtle and sweet through the main storyline. Enjoy :) I had fun writing this in a different sort of style than how I usually write.

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The buzz of conversation sounded all around the Academy canteen, where each person, whether they were faculty, security personnel, interns, or researchers, was wanting to get in on the latest gossip.

"Did you see Director Estheim this morning?!"

"Forget the Director, did you see _Alyssa_ this morning?!"

"Forget this morning, you should see her now. I was walking past the gym five minutes ago, and she was _tearing_ the sandbag apart."

"Alyssa's in the _gym_?!"

A noticeable hush fell across the room as the platinum-haired Director, heartthrob of ninety-eight percent of the female (and some of the male) population at the Academy, walked into the canteen, grabbed two green apples, and proceeded to pay for them. At the sudden quiet, he abruptly stopped what he was doing, scanning the room with raised eyebrows before shrugging and walking off, whistling an old Oerban tune. His departure signaled the resumption of conversation.

"I didn't know he could whistle."

"Would you _please_ stop getting off topic?"

"The Director certainly looked happy. Maybe an experiment went well? Or maybe he has a date tonight? Why else would Alyssa be so angry?"

An exasperated huff. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, aren't they in a relationship?"

Silence.

" _I_ heard they were sleeping together."

"Maybe he dumped her! That's why she's so put-out!"

"Oh, _shut up_ , please don't tell me you guys are that idiotic. The Director would _never_ sleep with her."

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"

"If you weren't so busy worshiping the ground he walked on every time you saw him, you'd notice that he's been _pining_."

"Get out of here, Hope Estheim doesn't pine over anyone."

"I heard it was one of those girls he was with when Cocoon fell. When that crystal pillar appeared. You know, one of the l'Cie."

"There were, what, two girls trapped inside?"

"Wasn't there an entire project dedicated to trying to free them?"

"Yeah, that was the Director's research. No one knows what happened afterward, though. There was that one solar eclipse last week, but no word about the results or anything after he tried that new experiment."

The door banged open, revealing a disheveled and disgruntled Alyssa. The blonde's short hair was messy, sticking up in sporadic places that she didn't bother to fix during her workout (or, according to the sorry state of the sandbag, slugging). Her blue tie was askew, her Academy uniform creased and rumpled, her blouse no longer tucked into her red belt. The fingerless gloves she usually wore were worn and torn. Her red leg bags were missing completely, and she had switched out her tall black boots for a pair of sneakers.

Yet another silence fell over the canteen as the Director's assistant marched over to get a bottle of water, paid, and left the room. Deeming it was safe once more, the Academy personnel began to speak again, all at once.

"I kind of feel sorry for her."

"Why? If she was hanging off your arm all day, you'd be just as annoyed as the Director."

"Sure, but if what you're saying is true-"

"- _Of course_ what I'm saying is true, everyone else who remembers the Fall remembers that there was obviously this girl he was super into before she was trapped in that pillar."

"-Sure, but that's still blowing Alyssa off for another girl. You're a girl, don't you feel bad for her?"

"To be fair, he was pretty clear about not returning her feelings since forever ago."

The janitor currently mopping the floor grit his teeth as the poor, abused canteen door burst open yet again within the time span of five minutes. An intern, doubled over and catching her breath, suddenly straightened up and yelled, "THE RUMORS THIS MORNING! THEY'RE TRUE, THE DIRECTOR IS WITH A GIRL!"

She pointed with a shaky finger at the enormous window set into the wall behind her. Chairs scraped the floor, footsteps thundering as the canteen emptied, everyone clambering over one another, running and rushing and pushing and pulling, trying to get to the window first. With hands, noses, and some entire bodies pressed up against the glass, everyone peered into the courtyard below them. There were gasps and sobs all around as they took in the sight; a girl toward the front of the glass fainted.

Hope Estheim, the teal-eyed, world-renowned scientist and ideal of both the female species and the human race as a whole, was holding a green apple in his right hand, his left currently occupied with swinging the hand of a coral-haired girl next to him. She was wearing the strangest pink and orange clothing, and _was that a coat of fur hanging from her hips?_ Her left hand was holding another green apple, her curled pigtails flouncing as she turned her head to look at the man beside her, who was smiling. They suddenly stopped walking, hands disconnecting as Hope turned towards her, wrapping an arm around her beaded waist and leaning down to touch their foreheads together.

Although the Academy personnel couldn't hear anything, his lips were moving, forming words meant for her ears only. Audible sniffles were heard as they continued gazing at their Director and the strange girl below. The two of them stayed that way for another moment before Hope brought his hand up, gently brushing his fingers against her cheeks. Everyone waited with baited breath as he began leaning down, ever so slowly. The girl stood stock-still, and Hope was getting closer, closer…until she suddenly brought her apple up, taking a huge bite of it and separating their lips. To the bewilderment of those watching, Hope Estheim, Academy Director, actually pouted. An ear-splitting grin was on the girl's face as she chewed her apple before a devilish smirk came upon Hope's lips, a dangerous glint in his eyes. Just like that, her grin fell and she turned on her heel, booking it to the other side of the courtyard before he could move.

And though the scene was completely inaudible to the bystanders inside the building, they very clearly heard Hope yell, "VANILLE!" and the girl's shriek of laughter as he began running after her.


End file.
